He clutched his stomach tightly with one hand, and in a whisper barely stronger than a breath, he said,

“It hurts… my stomach… please…”

The triage nurse blinked in disbelief. The boy was completely alone. No parents, no guardian, no one following behind him.

“Sweetheart,” she said softly, kneeling beside him, “where are your parents? Did someone bring you here?”

The boy just shook his head, his eyes darting toward the door — as if he were afraid someone might come looking for him.